Insulated bracket



p 1941- R. R. PlTTMAN ET AL 2,255,531

INSULATED BRACKET Filed Dec. 19, 1940 INVENTORS F42 61m 1 1. m

Patented Sept. 9, 1941 INSULATED BRACKET Ralph It. Pittman and CarrollH. Walsh, Pine Bluff, Ark.

Applieation December 19, 1940, Serial No. 370,762

4 Claims.

The present invention relates to insulated brackets for use insupporting electrically energized conductors on poles or otherstructures.

It is desirable in brackets of this character to tie the conductor tothe insulator in such a position that the conductor will be supported bya portion of the bracket in the event of loosening or failure of the tiewire used in fastening the conductor to the insulator, in order toprevent the conductor from falling to a position in which it may be ahazard to life or property. At the same time it is desirable to supportthe insulatorretaining member of the bracket at its respective ends, toprovide maximum strength with a minimum of material, and thereforelowest cost.

Among the objects of the present invention may be noted (1) theprovision of a bracket so arranged and constructed that a conductor maybe positioned at the base side of the insulator Without threading theend of the conductor through the bracket, this being accomplishedthrough an organization in which the insulatorretaining member may beunlatched from engagement with a portion of the base, and subsequentlytilted or swung away from the base along with the insulator to permitthe desired positioning of the conductor, following which operation theinsulator-retaining member and insulator may be restored to the latchedposition with re-.

spect to the base; and (2) the provision of means for holding theinsulator-retaining member of the bracket in a normal position withrespect to the base and insulator when the member is in the latched ornormally used position.

The present invention relates to improvements on the bracket forming thesubject matter of our co-pending application Serial No. 357,573, filedSeptember 20, 1940.

With the above and other objects in view which appear as the descriptionproceeds, our invention resides in the form, arrangement andorganization of the parts, and the scope of the present invention, whichrelates particularly to improved means for holding theinsulator-retaining member of a bracket of this character in the normalposition, will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing Figs. 1 and 2 are respectively side and front elevationalviews of the invention.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the metal base ID has a verticallyextending portion for providing a mounting surface adapted to abut apole or other supporting structure, and upper and lower arms II and [2respectively extending outwardly from the vertical portion in spacedsubstantially parallel relationship, the lower arm l2 preferably beingsomewhat longer than the upper arm I I. An insulator-retaining member[6, preferably formed from a metal rod of round section, extendsupwardly from a point below the lower arm l2 through an opening throughthe latter and vertically through an opening through the insulator [3 toa point above the horizontally extending portion of the upper arm H, theportion 20 of the insulator-retaining member extending inwardly andsubstantially horizontally from the upper end of the verticallyextending portion to a point over the outwardly extending upper arm H,and the portion 21 of the insulator-retaining member It extendsdownwardly from the inner end of the portion 2!! through the upper armII,

In the position just described, the insulator-retaining member H6 islatched to the base, and for normally maintaining latched engagement, ahelical spring I1, through which the lower end of theinsulator-retaining member [6 extends, is interposed between the lowersurface of the lower arm I2 and the washer E8, the latter being normallyspaced from the lower arm 12 and held in this position at the lower endof the insulatorretaining member by the pin l9.

This arrangement is such that the spring I1 normally urges theinsulator-retaining member I6 downwardly, and thereby normally maintainsthe portion 2| in latched engagement with the upper arm II. Theinsulator I3 is preferably fitted loosely over the member [6, andlimited in its upward movement through engagement with the outer end ofthe upper arm ll, thereby preventing the unlatching of theinsulator-retaining member IS in response to an upward movement of theinsulator.

It will be seen that the insulator-retaining member 16 may be readilymoved to the unlatched position shown by the broken lines in Fig. 1 byurging the member upwardly against the bias of the spring l1, and thatthe insulator l3 and its retaining member may then be swung or tiltedlaterally to permit the lateral insertion of a conductor between theinsulator and the base, also that the elements may then be restored. tothe normal position indicated by the solid lines of the drawing.

It may be observed that the insulator-retaining member It remainsfastened to the lower arm [2 when in the unlatched position, for thereason that the pin 19 prevents its removal in an upward direction,while the engagement of the horizontal portion 20 with the insulator l3prevents its removal in a downward direction.

Due to the fact that the insulator-retaining member l6 engages the armsII and 12 at points not in axial alignment, a couple is formed inresponse to a horizontal force applied to the insulator IS in adirection normal to the portion 20 of the member, such a force, when thebracket is in service, being possibly due to unbalanced tension in theconductor, or a broken conductor. To resist any force tending to movethe upwardly extending portion which passes through the insulator fromits normal vertical position when,

latched, the spaced end portions l4 and I5 are bent upwardly to providea seat for the horizontally extending portion 20, and thereby providemeans for holding the insulator-retaining member IS in the normalposition when latched.

Other embodiments of the invention are possible, and it is thereforeintended that the description and illustrations herein be interpreted asillustrative rather than limiting.

We claim, as our invention:

1. An insulated bracket comprising a base having arms of unequal lengthextending outwardly therefrom in spaced substantially parallelrelationship, an insulator-retaining member spanning said arms, aninsulator positioned between said arms through which saidinsulator-retainl ing member normally extends in a direction normal tothe outwardly extending arms, means for removably latching saidinsulator-retaining member to the shorter of said arms, means includingsaid insulator for fastening said insulator-retaining member to thelonger of said arms, and means including a pair of spaced, outwardlybent portions of the shorter arm between which said insulator-retainingmember passes for holding the latter in the normal position whenlatched.

2. An insulated bracket comprising a base having an upper arm and arelatively longer lower arm, said arms extending outwardly from the basein spaced substantially parallel relationship, an insulator positionedbetween said arms, an in sulator-retaining member having a first portionextending normally upwardly through said insulator from the outer end ofsaid lower arm in a direction substantially normal to said lower arm toa point above said upper arm, a second iii portion extending inwardly toa point over said upper arm, and a third portion extending downwardly tosaid upper arm, and means including a pair of spaced upwardly bentportions of said upper arm between which said second portion of saidinsulator-retaining member extends for holding said member in the normalposition.

3. An insulated bracket comprising a base having an upper arm and arelatively longer lower arm, said arms extending outwardly from the basein spaced substantially parallel relationship, an insulator positionedbetween said arms, an insulator-retaining member having a first portionextending normally upwardly through said insulator from the outer end ofsaid lower arm in a direction substantially normal to the lower arm to apoint above said upper arm, a second portion extending inwardly to apoint over said upper arm, and a third portion extending downwardly tosaid upper arm, means including said insulator for fastening saidinsulator-retaining member to the lower arm, and means including a pairof spaced upwardly bent integral portions of said upper arm betweenwhich said second portion of said insulator-retaining member extends forholding said member in the normal position.

4. An insulated bracket comprising a base having an upper arm and arelatively longer lower arm, said arms extending outwardly in spacedsubstantially parallel relationship, an insulator positioned betweensaid arms, an insulator-retaining member extending normally upwardlythrough said insulator from the outer end of said longer and lower armin a direction substantially normal to said lower arm to a point abovesaid upper arm and thence inwardly and downwardly to said upper arm,means for removably attaching said insulator-retaining member to saidupper arm, means including said insulator for fastening saidinsulator-retaining member to said lower arm, and means including a pairof spaced upwardly bent portions of said upper arm between which theinwardly extending portion of said insulator-retaining member passes forholding said member in the normal position when attached to said upperarm.

RALPH.R. PITTMAN. CARROLL H. WALSH.

